Infusion pump devices and systems are relatively well known in the medical arts, for use in delivering or dispensing an agent, such as insulin or another prescribed medication, to a patient. A typical infusion pump includes a pump drive system which typically includes a small motor and drive train components that convert rotational motor motion to a translational displacement of a plunger (or stopper) in a reservoir that delivers medication from the reservoir to the body of a user via a fluid path created between the reservoir and the body of a user. Use of infusion pump therapy has been increasing, especially for delivering insulin for diabetics.
Control schemes have been developed that allow insulin infusion pumps to monitor and regulate a user's blood glucose level in a substantially continuous and autonomous manner. However, regulating blood glucose level is still complicated by variations in the response time for the type of insulin being used along with variations in a user's individual insulin response and daily activities (e.g., exercise, carbohydrate consumption, bolus administration, and the like). Additionally, manually-initiated deliveries of insulin prior to or contemporaneously with consuming a meal (e.g., a meal bolus or correction bolus) also influence the overall glucose regulation, along with various patient-specific ratios, factors, or other control parameters.
Continuous monitoring provides a greater understanding of the condition of a patient with diabetes. That said, there is also a burden imposed on patients, physicians and other healthcare providers to adapt to continuous monitoring and incorporate the amount of available data in a manner that allows for improved patient outcomes. While meals can be a major contributor to blood glucose variations, manual input is generally relied on to identify when meals occur and what the corresponding glucose response. However, many patients find manually indicating meals to be unnecessarily burdensome. In other instances, a patient may simply forget to provide a meal indication or be unable to provide a meal indication due to time or social constraints. Thus, for any given patient, a relatively large number of meals may occur without any indication that facilitates further analysis or monitoring. Accordingly, there is a need to identify meals and corresponding glucose responses without relying on manual interaction.